After defeating the ninja sergeant, the group continued upward.
Suddenly, a sharp beeping echoed from the Dragon Radar nestled in Bulma's arms.
She pulled it out, tapped it a few times, zooming in and out to double-check the signal.
Seeing her so quiet, Chi-Chi asked, "What's wrong, Bulma?"
Bulma scratched her head. "Weird… The radar says there's a new Dragon Ball nearby. Did the Red Ribbon Army already find it?"
Krillin shook his head. "No way. If they had, they wouldn't still be forcing villagers to search."
"Yeah, good point," Bulma muttered, clearly puzzled.
Goku stepped forward. "Let's not worry about it for now. Let's just keep heading up."
Everyone nodded.
"Right!"
As they were about to reach the fifth floor, a towering man appeared at the stairway landing.
He was massive, with a thick, solid build and a long scar stretching across his bald head. His expression was calm, even gentle.
He stood in their path, silent.
Seeing someone block the way, Chi-Chi stepped forward.
"Goku, Krillin—since you two took care of the others, mind if I handle this one?"
Krillin nodded. "Sure. Just be careful."
But Goku stepped in front of her.
"Hold on, Woof Woof."
Chi-Chi blinked. "Huh? What is it, Goku?"
She thought he was worried about her and blushed slightly.
"No need to worry, Goku. We've trained together for ages. I'm plenty strong now! You two already showed off—you should let me have a turn!"
Goku shook his head.
"It's not that. I don't think he's a bad guy."
That made Chi-Chi, Krillin, and Bulma pause.
"You can tell?"
This man was the gentle Android 8. Goku couldn't quite explain it, so he simply said, "He doesn't have any killing intent."
Just that one sentence made Krillin and Chi-Chi look at him with stars in their eyes.
"Goku, you can sense killing intent now? You've really leveled up!"
"Seriously, how do you even do that?"
Goku scratched his head. "I just felt it."
Then, he walked over to Android 8. "Hello!"
Android 8 turned toward him. "Hello."
Bulma and Chi-Chi gasped. He actually responded politely!
Goku smiled. "We're trying to go upstairs. Can you let us through?"
Android 8 nodded. "You're here to destroy those bad guys, aren't you?"
Goku nodded. He knew 8 was a good guy, so he explained his purpose.
"That's right. We're here not just to take down the Red Ribbon Army, but also to gather the Dragon Balls so we can bring the murdered villagers back to life."
For the first time, Android 8's stoic face softened into a smile.
"I see… You're the good guys.
They've been doing horrible things lately—locking up the village chief, forcing the villagers to search for Dragon Balls. Many have died from exhaustion or outright murder.
I don't know exactly what they want the Dragon Balls for, but it's probably something like world domination."
Then, 8 lifted his shirt and opened a small hatch in his chest.
Inside was a gleaming golden Dragon Ball.
Bulma gasped. "A Dragon Ball!"
Chi-Chi and Krillin also stared in shock.
"You're… an android?"
8 carefully pinched the Dragon Ball with two fingers and removed it.
"Yes. I was made as a combat android. I found this Dragon Ball by chance and hid it so the others wouldn't misuse it."
He handed it to Goku.
"You said you'd use it to bring the villagers back. Then it belongs with you."
The others were stunned by his sincerity.
"Wait, you're an android… but you're a good guy?"
Android 8 turned to Bulma. "Ever since I was created and gained consciousness, I hated violence.
After they built me, they sent me to fight—but once they realized I refused to kill, they left me here.
They called me a failure."
Bulma frowned. "A failure? …May I ask who built you?"
"People call him Dr. Gero."
Bulma's pupils narrowed. "Dr. Gero... It was him!"
Krillin and Chi-Chi turned to her.
"You know him?"
In the future, Dr. Gero would create Androids 17 and 18, unleashing a calamity upon the Earth. There's no way Bulma could forget that name.
She nodded solemnly. "Yeah. He's a genius when it comes to androids… but to think someone like him would work for the Red Ribbon Army…"
Goku asked, "Hey, 8, if you hate it here, why not come with us? We'll take you out of this place."
Everyone turned to stare at him.
Take an android with them? Was he serious?
8 shook his head. "Thank you, but I can't."
"Why not? Are you still working for them? Once we rescue the village chief, we're going to destroy this place. If you stay, you'll be caught in the mess."
8 looked troubled. "There's a bomb inside me. I'm not safe to be around."
Bulma blinked. "A bomb?!"
He nodded. "Yes."
Bulma smiled. "Hey now, I'm a mechanical genius. How about I help you remove it?"
8's eyes widened. "You… you can do that?"
Bulma glanced at the others. "You've all been pulling your weight. It's about time I showed off a little, or you'll start thinking I'm useless!"
She turned to 8. "Got any tools?"
"In the storage room. I'll go grab them."
As he walked off, Krillin and Chi-Chi leaned toward Bulma.
"You're really going to do this?"
"Relax! Trust me, okay?"
Krillin pouted. "I'm not totally convinced… Mind if I wait downstairs?"
Chi-Chi added, "Me too… I'm a little worried."
Bulma looked at them, then at Goku, and laughed. "Fine, go on."
Goku smiled. "Don't worry. I believe in Bulma's skills. You two can head down."
Chi-Chi looked conflicted. "I want to stay with Goku."
Krillin shrugged. "This is emotional blackmail… What if we all get blown up?"
Goku thought for a second. "Yeah, if we all stay and it blows up, we're toast. You two go downstairs. I'll stay and protect Bulma."
Chi-Chi hesitated, then nodded. "Alright…"
Krillin and Chi-Chi headed down just as 8 returned with a toolbox.
He lay down on a table. Bulma expertly opened the hatch in his chest.
Inside were rows of intricate circuits and components. Goku looked completely lost.
But Bulma's eyes lit up.
Of course they did—she was the genius who invented the Dragon Radar, something even entire armies couldn't replicate.
"Dr. Gero really is a genius. His internal design is incredibly complex.
But nothing I can't handle."
With a few quick moves, she removed the bomb.
"Goku, toss this thing outside—far."
"Got it!"
Goku grabbed the bomb, opened a window, and hurled it far away.
A distant explosion rang out. He shut the window and turned back.
Android 8 opened his eyes just as Bulma packed away her tools.
"All done. You're free to go wherever you like!"
8 beamed. "Really? Thank you so much!"
Bulma grinned. "No need to thank me—you gave us a Dragon Ball, didn't you? This is nothing!"
She picked up the Dragon Ball, tossing it gently in her hand.
"Honestly, we got so caught up fighting the Red Ribbon Army, I forgot all about the Dragon Balls.
I wouldn't dare go search for them alone.
But wow, seek and ye shall find! A Dragon Ball was right here in Muscle Tower all along!
Hah! At this rate, the Red Ribbon Army will never gather them all!"
Just then, Chi-Chi and Krillin burst back in.
"Goku! Bulma! Everything okay?"
"We heard an explosion just now."
Goku nodded. "Yeah. Bulma removed the bomb. I tossed it outside."
"Oh, no wonder it wasn't loud. You threw it far."
Krillin grinned. "So… shall we keep going?"
Bulma nodded. "Let's go."
8 said, "There's a maze upstairs. If you get lost, it could be dangerous. Let me guide you."
"That'd be great!"
The group followed him up the stairs.
"The fifth floor has no entrance—it's a sealed chamber. I don't know what's in there.
But I'll take you to the sixth floor. That's the regional command post. The village chief is locked up there."
But the moment they stepped onto the sixth floor, a wall vanished—and another rose behind them.
A large, open room lay ahead. In the center… was a monster.
Pink flesh. Bumpy, wart-like skin. A drooping green tongue, slathered in slobber.
8 screamed, "WAAAH! A MONSTER! I'M SCARED!"
Bulma didn't even flinch. Meanwhile, 8 shrank behind her, trembling.
Bulma scowled at him. 'Seriously? You're more scared than me?'
Goku looked at the monster, then at Chi-Chi and Krillin.
"This one looks like the final boss. Let's take it down—together."
Chi-Chi clenched her fists. "Heh, I'll be the one to beat it!"
Krillin smirked. "Not a chance!"
They charged.
But their attacks bounced right off.
"Damn, its hide is too thick!"
"Nothing's working!"
Chi-Chi's eyes narrowed. "We need a new plan."
Suddenly, the monster's long tail whipped toward her.
She formed a defensive stance.
"Kame…"
"Hame…"
"Ha!"
Using a flickering afterimage, she dodged the tail.
Then thrust her palms forward—firing the Kamehameha.
The beam struck the beast… and reflected off.
Chi-Chi's face drained of color.
'Even that didn't work?'
Backstage, a general puffed on a pipe, watching the monitors with glee. Behind him, the village chief was locked in a cell.
He sneered, "Heh. Fools. Doesn't matter how strong you are. You'll never beat our ultimate weapon—Buyon."
He pressed a button on a comm link.
"Hahaha! You brats want a deal? Hand over the Dragon Balls and the radar, and I'll let you go. I'll even stop harassing the villagers."
Bulma's voice shot back: "Fat chance! You're not getting anything from us!"
"Tch. Stubborn idiots. Fine—Buyon, eat them."
The creature opened its monstrous maw, tongue slithering toward Chi-Chi.
"Help!"
Before she could finish screaming, Goku sprang into action, kicking the tongue away.
It flinched, releasing her.
Chi-Chi twisted in midair, spun 360 degrees, and landed gracefully.
"Whew, that was close. Thanks, Goku!"
But Goku wasn't listening. He was thinking.
'What's its weakness...?'
He could remember all the battles after Frieza, Cell, and even the gods.
But his childhood adventures? That part was a blur.
'Whatever. This thing can't be that strong. I should be able to handle it.'
Krillin suddenly shouted, "Goku! Move!"
Goku turned—Krillin had formed a Destructo Disc.
'Dang. One trick wonder.'
Against slow, tanky enemies like this, the technique was perfect.
Goku jumped back as Krillin hurled the disc.
The monster didn't even flinch.
The Destructo Disc hit its skin… and bounced off.
"What?!"
Chi-Chi and Krillin barely dodged the rebounding attack.
But behind them, Bulma froze.
The disc was heading straight for her.
She couldn't dodge in time.
Fear paralyzed her. She felt death creeping in.
Then—someone tackled her, pinning her head to the floor.
Shhhkt!
The disc whizzed by, slicing through the wall and window behind her. Cold wind rushed in.
Bulma opened her eyes.
She was alive.
Little Goku was still holding her down, his hand on her head.
She exhaled shakily. "Thanks, Goku..."
Goku, still lying on top of her, wasn't in a hurry to move. It was warm. Soft.
Until the icy wind blew across his back, making him shiver all over.